GOP lawmakers likely to ignore Crist's oil-drilling ban

July 17, 2010|By Josh Hafenbrack, Tallahassee Bureau

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Legislature returns to Tallahassee this week apparently poised to hand Gov. Charlie Crist a political defeat — rejecting his call for a permanent ban on oil drilling in state waters.

Republican legislative leaders aren't saying for sure, but all signs point to the Florida House gathering at noon Tuesday and adjourning shortly thereafter, without taking any votes on Crist's drilling ban. The Senate is more open to the ban, but has also criticized Crist's motives.

Lawmakers say Crist's proposal for a constitutional amendment is a hollow political move, designed to win votes for his independent U.S. Senate bid.

Instead, top lawmakers vow to call their own special session, in September, to address the financial damage done to coastal residents and businesses from the BP oil spill.

"I think it's going to be a very short special session" this week, said incoming Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich, D-Weston.

Crist called the four-day gathering to focus solely on the drilling ban, which he said is needed to protect the state from a spill. The state controls waters three to 10 miles from Florida's coastline.

Oil and gas drilling has been banned in state law since 1990. However, legislators and oil-industry lobbyists had been moving to lift that ban, and allow near-shore energy exploration, before the BP rig exploded in April.

The governor needs a three-fifths vote in both chambers to get the constitutional amendment on the November ballot, and then a 60 percent majority among voters to put it into law.

That doesn't appear likely to happen.

"I think it's a waste of taxpayer money, and it's a shame," said Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, referring to the $50,000-a-day special session costs. "It's a shame we all have to fly up there. He was dropping in the polls, and this is a political stunt."

Democrats, who support the constitutional drilling ban, say the Legislature's Republican leaders will pay a political price. Environmental advocates are rallying at the Capitol Tuesday morning, urging legislators to approve Crist's proposal and put it to a vote in November.

"All they're doing is turning this into a political football as people are suffering," said House Democratic Leader Franklin Sands, D-Weston. "They're so fond of saying, 'Let the people decide.' This is so critical to all Floridians, the people should weigh in.

"It's ridiculous and immature," he added. "People are being shut out of the process by a certain group of politicians, and they may be very angry about it."

Most special sessions are scripted beforehand and are a good way for governors to push through policy priorities. Crist has used them to cut homeowner insurance rates and property taxes, arguably his two biggest achievements.

They rarely go awry. The last time that happened was in 2003, when then-Gov. Jeb Bush and Senate President Jim King had a showdown over medical malpractice lawsuits. Bush wanted to cap lawsuit awards at $250,000, but the Senate refused to go along. It took three special sessions before the two sides agreed to a compromise.

Of course, times are different now. Bush and the Republican-run Legislature still had a good relationship in 2003. Today, Crist and Republican lawmakers rarely communicate except through angry press releases. One legislator — Rep. Sandy Adams, R-Oviedo — summed up the relationship by filing a resolution to censure the governor for calling the special session in the first place.

Top Republican leaders are already looking beyond this week's special session to September, when they plan to pass legislation dealing with the claims and litigation process for Floridians seeking financial damages from BP.

"There's a consensus that we want to provide relief that is meaningful, that is real, that is effective at helping real Floridians," said House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park. "But there's a lot of untested issues and challenges, and we want to make sure we do this right."